1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to surgery, and more particularly to cardiac augmentation. In one preferred embodiment, a wirelessly powered, catheter delivered stent pump is capable of augmenting the circulation of fluid within the human body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Class IV heart failure carries a 50% mortality within two years of diagnosis. Displacement pumps were the initial pumps designed and built for implantation and support. The most successful was a pusher plate pump called the HeartMate I™. This device comprised of a pusher plate within a compliance chamber which displaced blood and provided pulsatile flow. These pumps were shown to be superior to optimal medical therapy in the Rematch Trial, but also demonstrated significant short and long term failure points including bleeding, infection, stroke, lung and renal failure surrounding the implantation procedure.
In recent years new cardiac assist devices operating as continuous flow devices have entered the clinical arena, the most successful of which has been an axial flow device called the HeartMate II™. This device has been proven successful in demonstrating the clinical feasibility of small axial flow devices in patients requiring a bridge to transplant or destination therapy. The continued drawbacks of these devices are the requirements for a surgical procedure for implantation, an external power source with limited battery life and significant morbidity and mortality associated with the implantation procedure and the aftercare.
Conventional axial flow devices such as the HeartMate II™ device often require a large operation because the patients are at the end of therapy and have already undergone most conventional procedures including stents for coronary artery disease, cardiopulmonary arterial bypass grafting, valve repair or replacement. Additionally, these patients may also already have undergone implantation of internal defibrillators to address issues of ventricular arrhythmias and ventricular dyschronicity associated with advanced degrees of heart failure.
The axial flow devices are based on the implantation of a rigid pump encased within an electromagnetic housing connected to an external power source which can be supplied by alternating current or direct current from a battery source. This pump, although efficient in design has ongoing issues with gastrointestinal bleeding, stroke, infection and pump thrombosis.
In addition to the foregoing commercial devices, there exists a very large body of patents form many artisans, each which have attempted to address the many issues and complications associated with a cardiac assist device. The following United States patents are exemplary of the art, the contents of each which is incorporated herein by reference for the teachings found therein: U.S. Pat. No. 3,505,987 by Heilman; U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,253 by Reich et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,941 by Child; U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,466 by Hall et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,712 by Wampler; U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,998 by Olsen et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,221 by Kensey et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,647 by Nash; U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,722 by Carriker et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,017 by Yozu; U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,103 by Dahl; U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,944 by Cook; U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,151 by Cooper et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,227 by Pasque; U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,509 by Golding et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,114 by Jarvik; U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,074 by Nos+E et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,629 by Jarvik; U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,159 by Bozeman, Jr. et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,935 by Jarvik; U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,421 by Miller et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,693 by Wang et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,471 by Wampler; U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,939 by Nedungadi et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,066 by Soong et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,313 by Barreras, Sr. et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,855 by Reitan; U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,425 by Murakami; U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,748 by Borza; U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,877 by Barreras, Sr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,157 by Mische et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,827 by Coppersmith et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,241 by Jarvik; U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,183 by Zierhofer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,848 by Izraelev; U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,762 by Chen et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,892 by Benkowski et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,006 by Mann; U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,315 by Chapman; U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,272 by Antaki et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,665 by Maurio et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,347 by Scholl et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,975 by Poirier; U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,093 by Hart; U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,862 by Rau et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,025 by Barbut et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,683 by Lancisi et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,822 by Nix et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,848 by Rau et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,201,329 by Chen; U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,797 by Watterson et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,820 by Jarvik; U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,318 by Phillips; U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,835 by Antaki et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,901 by Prem; U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,504 by Dolgin et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,048 by Schob et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,341 by Hunter et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,228 by Norred; U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,521 by Noda; U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,716 by Schmitz-Rode et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,603,232 by Van Dine et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,644 by Ozaki; U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,125 by Siess et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,861 by Wampler; U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,157 by Goldowsky; U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,791 by Nusser et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,730,118 by Spenser et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,011 by Dolgin; U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,171 by Grundeman et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,789 by Siess et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,757 by Van Dine et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,981,942 by Khaw et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,989,027 by Allen et al; U.S. Pat. No. 7,070,398 by Olsen et al; U.S. Pat. No. 7,144,364 by Barbut et al; U.S. Pat. No. 7,229,258 by Wood et al; U.S. Pat. No. 7,238,066 by Taylor et al; U.S. Pat. No. 7,393,181 by Mcbride et al; U.S. Pat. No. 7,396,327 by Morello; U.S. Pat. No. 7,457,668 by Cancel et al; U.S. Pat. No. 7,544,160 by Gross; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,648,454 by Sotiriou.
Additional United States published patent applications for which the contents are incorporated herein by reference include: 2003\0127090; 2003\0212384; 2003\0233143; 2005\0049696; 2006\0008349; 2006\0036127; 2006\0195004; 2006\0241745; 2006\0259136; 2006\0271085; 2007\0004986; 2007\0005141; 2007\0142696; 2007\0150009; 2007\0225802; 2007\0299297; 2008\0103591; 2008\0114339; 2008\0132747; 2008\0132748; 2008\0140189; 2008\0140189; 2008\0195180; 2008\0215117; 2009\0005859; 2009\0043183; 2009\0060743; 2009\0069854; 2009\0171448; 2010\0023093; 2010\0063347; 2010\0076247; 2010\0094381; and 20100125252.
PCT published applications for which the contents are incorporated herein by reference include: WO2006\051023A1; WO2009\029959A2; WO9405347A1; and WO9944651A1.
In addition, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms used herein.